As the war between Iran and Israel intensifies with the involvement of the US, Tehran has turned a blind eye. Stating that they will respond to the US attack targeting nuclear facilities, Iran said, “The war may last 2 years. The US will pay the price directly. We are ready for this.”
The war between Israel and Iran has almost reached a point of no return after the US attacked nuclear facilities in Tehran. The war raged for only a few days, with Iran responding to Israel’s attacks and vowing to take revenge on the US.
The latest statement from Iran has increased concerns. Iran announced that it foresees that the war could last up to 2 years, especially if the US participates directly. Iran said, “The war could last 2 years. The US will pay the price directly. We are ready for this.” A senior Iranian official said, “Tehran is fully prepared for this scenario.”
“COMMANDER IN CHARGE OF TEHRAN’S SECURITY KILLED”
On the other hand, violent attacks occurred on the 11th day of the war. In a statement made by the Israeli army, it was claimed that Revolutionary Guard Commander Tharallah, who was responsible for the security of Tehran, the capital of Iran, was killed. The US Embassy in Qatar warned US citizens living in the country not to leave their locations until further notice.
ISRAEL TARGETS FORDO NUCLEAR FACILITY
An official from the Iranian city of Qom reported that Israel targeted the Fordo Nuclear Facility. The information was reported by Iran’s Tasnim news agency. Regional authorities said that there is currently no danger to the settlements in the region.
PRISON WAS SHOT TOO
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported that the Israeli army also bombed Evin Prison in Tehran. The Iranian student news agency ISNA also reported that Martyr Beheshti University in Tehran was hit.
SOUNDS OF EXPLOSIONS IN TEHRAN: AN UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that they have changed tactics in today’s attacks on Israel. The attack reportedly targeted areas from north to south of Israel, including Tel Aviv and Haifa.
On the other hand, the Israeli army announced that they launched an attack on military targets in the Iranian capital Tehran. Explosions were heard in the city. Tasnim news agency reported that the power grid in the Evin area of northern Tehran was hit, but there was no widespread outage. Ilna news agency reported that the technical building of Iranian state television was hit in an Israeli attack. The Israeli Defense Minister stated, “The Israeli army is currently attacking targets in central Tehran with unprecedented intensity.”
THE MOST VIOLENT ATTACKS SINCE THE WAR
Following the attacks, which were called the “biggest attacks” carried out by Israel one after another, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar made a statement, “We have warned Iran many times, do not target civilians! It has continued, including this morning. Our response is: Long live freedom, long live beauty!”
ISRAEL ATTACKS 6 AIRPORTS
The Israeli army said in its latest statement that it had hit six airports in eastern, western and central Iran. The army also released images of the military zone in Kermanshah that was hit.
ASHDOD POWER PLANT WAS ALSO SHOOT
Civilians in areas where sirens were sounded were instructed to remain in shelters until further notice. Meanwhile, a power plant in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod was also hit by Iranian ballistic missiles.
IMPORTANCE OF FORDO
The Fordo Nuclear Facility is a facility that has a critical place in Iran’s nuclear program and is closely monitored internationally due to both its technical capacity and location.
The Fordo Nuclear Facility was built approximately 80-90 meters underground near Qom, one of the holy cities of Iran. With its deep and solid structure, it is highly protected against air attacks, which is one of the main features that distinguishes it from other nuclear facilities.
The main purpose of the facility is uranium enrichment activities. It has played a role in producing high-level uranium, a sensitive threshold for Iran’s nuclear program, with the production of uranium enriched to 20%, which is a source of international concern because it is closer to the level of enrichment needed for nuclear weapons production.
The Fordo Facility was included in the 2015 Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) signed between Iran and Western countries. According to the agreement, enrichment activities at Fordo were limited and even stopped for a while. However, after the US withdrew from the deal in 2018, Iran resumed enrichment activities at the facility.
The facility’s underground construction, its late initial notification to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and its weapons-grade enrichment capacity have drawn criticism from some Western countries for its potential military purposes.
Fordo remains a key topic in the nuclear negotiations. The international community demands that Iran open its activities at the facility to transparent inspection and limit them. Iran, on the other hand, is trying to protect its rights at Fordo, arguing that its nuclear program is peaceful.
The Fordo Nuclear Facility is one of the symbols of the conflict between Iran’s desire to preserve its nuclear capacity and the concerns of the international community. It is considered one of the most critical parts of the Iranian nuclear file, both from a geopolitical and technical perspective.
WHAT HAPPENED?
On June 13, Israel launched large-scale attacks targeting nuclear facilities in various cities in Iran, as well as the military’s top command. The Chief of General Staff, the General Commander of the Revolutionary Guard Corps, and several senior commanders, as well as nine nuclear scientists, were killed in the attacks.
The Iranian Health Ministry announced on June 21 that the total number of civilian casualties in Israel’s attacks was 430 and the number of wounded exceeded 3,500. The Israeli Prime Ministry Office reported that 24 people were killed and 1,272 were wounded in the Iranian army’s reprisals. Many countries, especially Türkiye, condemned Israel.
